peters



2 Sheets-"Sheet 1. S. L. LONG.

'Corn Stalk Gutter.

'Patented July 27, 18230,

1. Jg. y f u 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. L. LONG.

Corn Stalk Gutter.

10.230.426. Pafented July '27, 1880.

N- PETERS, PKOTO-LITHDBRAPRER, WABNINGTQN, D C.

SAMUEL L. LONG, OF KEITHSBUR PATENT EEICEO G, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GEO B.

SAPI), OF SAME PLACE.

CORNSTALK-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,426, dated July 27, 1880. Application filed December 12, 1819.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL L. LONG, of Keithsburg, in the county of Mercer and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oornstalk-Outters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a tion, in which- Figure 1. is a side elevation 5 Fig.- 2, a plan View; Fig. 3, a front elevation; Fig. il, a perspective of one of the adjust-able arms for regulating the depth of the cut, and Fig. 5 a perspective of the cross-crank shaft.

My invention relates to cornstalk-cntters; and it. consists in the construction and combination of parts, hereinafter particularly speci ed.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A indicates the frame of the machine; B, its tongue, and O the axle. The axle is journaled in boxcs'l) secured to the bottom of the sides of frame A in such a manner that the frame may be moved from side to side thereon, so that a cog-wheel, E, ou the axle may be thrown in and out of gear with a pinion, F, on a shaft, G, through which motion is imparted to the pitinan H of the cutting-blade I.

The frame A is moved from one side to the other by means of a lever, J, in this instance passing through a cross-p1ate, K, bolted to the frame, the lower end being forked so as to lit over the axle and into a groove, c, formed therein, as shown iu Fig. 3. This lever can be held at the point desired by the hand or the leg of the operator, or by other well-kuown means.

The cog-wheel E is keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the axle G inside of one of the running wheels, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3,the running audcog wheel turning with the axle; but the hubs of the cog and running wheel might be firmly secured to each other and both be made to turn on the axle, which, in such a case, would not be allowed to turn.

part of this specifica- The shaft G has two double cranks, I), as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, and a pinion, F, on one end and a fly-wheel, N, on the other, and when ready for operation it stands as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, its pinion gearing with cogwheel E. One end of the pitman H is connected to the crank of the shaft, as shown, while to the lower end of both pitmen there is bolted or otherwise secured a cutting-blade, I, the same extending from one pitman to the other.

The pitmen are braced and held at an inclination that will cause the blade I to cut the stalk obliquely by means of two rods, L, in this instance hinged at one end to the front cross-bar of frame A, and at the other end connected to the pitmen.

rIhe shaft G is supported across the frame A by means of two arms, M, in which it is journaled. These arms are made in two parts, the lower part being provided with a iiange which is bolted to the side of the frame, and the upper part with an eye through which the shaft is passed. The upper part is also provided with a longitudinal slot, and isheld to the lower part by means of a bolt,O, which passes through the slot-in the upper part and into the lower part. These parts are preferablyT curved, as shown, and overhang or incline forward. rlhe arms are made in parts, as described, so that they may be adjustable for the purpose of regulating the depth to which the'blade shall cut. The same is effected in this wise: The shaft G,earrying the pinion, is, as already stated, journaled in the movable part of the arm M, and by elevating or lowering said arm the shaft is correspondingly elevated or lowered, and with it the pitman H, which operation in effect shortens or lengthens the pitman, and to that extent controls the depth to which the blade will penetrate the ground and cut the stalk. Whether the shaft be elevated or lowered iu the manner described, the pinion thereon gears with the cog-wheel, it being near to or farther from a vertical line drawn through the diameter the wheel, according as the shaft is elevated or lowered.

The fly-wheel N in this device serves to add force to the downstroke of the pitman, thereby quickly and effectively cutting the cornstalk.

In operation the driver sits on the seat P and draws the leverJ to the left, which throws the pinion into gear with the cog-wheel E, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Now, when the device is drawn forward the running wheels turn and cause the axles to revolve, which turn the cog-wheel, and it the pinion, whereby the crankshaft is revolved, and as the crank rises and falls it raises and lowers the pitman, which likewise raises and lowers the blade that cuts the stalk.

When the cutting-blade is not be operated the pinion F is thrown out of gear with the cog-wheel by pushing.,r the lever J to the right, which movement carries the traine A and whatever it supports to one side, thereby throwing the pinion out of' gear with the cogwlleel, and leaving the running wheels and axle f'rec to turn without operating the cutter. The dotted lines in Fig. 3 illustrate the position oi' the ily-wheel under such a condition of things.

.Llie depth to which the blade governed by the means and in hereinbeiorc described.

shall cut is the manner adjustable 'all substantially as set forth.

stalk-chopper, the curved sectional arms M, in combination with crankgear E, substantially 2. Ina

shaft G, pinion F, and as set forth.

3. In a stalk-chopper, the combination of pinion F, gear E, shaft G, sectional adjustable arms M, fly-wheel N, pitnien H, cuttingblade I, and rods L, adapted to operate as de scribed, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony my own I aflix my two witnesses.

SAMUEL LEWIS LONG. Witnesses:

CHARLES A. MER'rz, GEORGE N. GREEN.

that I claim the foregoing as 5o signature in presence of 

